Tips to help your child develop their critical thinking skills

Helping your child develop their critical thinking skills will support both their academic and personal progress. With that said, I have teamed up with an independent prep school in Hampshire to share some advice on how you can help your child become a critical thinker.

1. Promote healthy discussions

Of course, you don’t want to encourage your family to argue constantly, but debating different opinions is actually important for your child’s development because it teaches them to question their own viewpoint and analyse lots of different information. That’s what critical thinking is all about; assessing what we already know compared with new information we’re presented with to come up with a logical conclusion. If your child has an opinion that differs from your own, try and refrain from telling them that they’re wrong, just encourage them to consider other opinions as well. 

2. Ask your child questions

Children are very inquisitive by nature and tend to ask a lot of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions back to encourage them to think about things on a deeper level. Even if it’s something as simple as them asking you for a new toy, you can ask them why they want it and what makes that toy so special or important that they must have it.

3. Encourage your child to research

When your child asks you a question that you don’t know much about, rather than giving them a half-hearted answer, admit that you’re unsure and encourage your child to do some research. Show them how to look for trustworthy websites or search for things using the index in a book. The more information your child is exposed to from different sources, the more they will be able to practise critical thinking. 

4. Be a good role model

When helping your child learn something new or adopt a particular attitude, the best thing you can do to help them is to be a good role model. Try and think critically about things, explore different viewpoints, and delve a little deeper when you don’t understand something.